Detachable caster for metal bedsteads.



H. A. PALMER. DETAUHABLE GASTER FOR METAL BBDSTEA-DS. ABPLIGATION FILEDJAN. 2B, 1909.

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JUNIIED STATES PATENT OFFQF.

HARRY A. PALMER, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO FOSTER, MFRRIAMAND COMPANY, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

DETACHABL CASTER FOR METAL BEDSTEADS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. PALMER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Meriden, county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new and useful Detachable Caster for Metal Bedsteads, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a detachable caster formetal bedsteads which shall be simple and inexpensive to produce,practically indestructible and which will turn freely in use. It hasbeen a serious objection to casters of this type heretofore produced andespecially to sheet metal casters that they quickly twist out of shapeso that the pintles will not turn in the sockets and the casters arethus rendered worse than useless as they tear carpets and rugs and ruinhardwood floors.

My present invention enables me to produce a relatively high gradecaster at a very low rice, that will remain firmly in place in the eg,will stand up for practically an unlimited length of time under theroughest kind of hard usage and will still turn freely and not injurecarpets, rugs or hardwood floors.

lith these and other objects in view I have devised the sim le and novelcaster which I will now describe, referring to the accompanying drawingforming a part of this speciiication and using reference characters toindicate the several parts:

Figure 1 is a view showing my novel caster in position in the leg of ametal bedstead, the leg and horn of the caster being in section and thewheel, pintle and one of the halves of the socket in elevation; Fig. 2 asection on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a section on the line3-3 in Fig. 1.

10 denotes the leg of a metal bedstead which is simply a metal tube, 11the socket members, 12 the horn of the caster, 13 the wheel, 14 thepintle and 15 the spring retaining ring. The socket of each castercoinprises two members which are cast from iron or any other suitablemetal or alloy. These socket members are interchangeable and any two ofthem match together to form a socket which is made of just sufficientsize to pass into the leg with a drive it and be self-retaining inplace. Each member is provided at its lower end with a semi-circularflange 16 of even diameter with the external diam- Speccaton of LettersPatent.

Application filed January 28, 1909.

Patented April 13, 1909.

Serial No. 474,696.

P eter of the leg so as to form 'finish for the bottom of the leg andprevent the socket from being driven into the leg in use. The membersare provided on one side of their faces with bosses 17 and on the otherside with recesses 1S, the bosses upon one socket member engaging therecesses of the other socket member so as to lock the members to eachother when. driven into the leg.

In order to make the sockets rigidly selfretaining in place and to adaptthem to slight variations in the internal diameter of the legs, Ipreferably make the members slightly tapering from bottom to top andalso 'flatten the sides slightly, as at 30, leaving projectinglongitudinal ridges 31, four in the present instance, two of which areat the meeting edges of the members and the other two on the backs ofthe members. These ridges engage the inner wall of the leg with a drivefit and in practice cut slight grooves therein s0 as to lock the socketin place and make it perfectly rigid with the leg. Each socket member isprovided in its face with a semi circular longitudinal groove, the twogrooves in a socket forming a hole 1Q to receive the pintle. Each socketmember is also provided in its face with a curved depression, the twodepressions in a socket forming a circu lar seat 2O which receives thespring ring 15, the purpose of which will presently be eX- plained. Ihave shown the socket members as recessed out as at 29. This is simplyto make the members lighter without impairing their strength.

The wheel may be of any suitable material as wood, glass or metal, ormetal covered with felt or rubber. rThe horn is of ordinary constructionand may be either made of sheet metal or cast. The pintle is providedwith a bearing 21 which engages the lower end of hole 19 in the socket,fitting closely therein but turning freely. Below this bearing is aflange 22 and below the flange a stud 23 which passes through astrengthening washer 24 and through the horn between the i arms thereofand is headed down against the horn as at 25, the horn and washer beinglocked tightly between the heading an( ilange 22. At the upper end ofthe pintle is a head 26 which 'lits closely in the upper end of hole 19but turns freely therein, the entire weight resting on the head uponwhich the socket has a bearing as at 27. Between bearing 2l and the headthe diameter of the pintle is preferably reduced as at 28. Ring l5 liesin seat 20 and grips the reduced portion of the pintle, in the assembledposition, just under the head, thereby retaining the pintle in thesocket and connecting the horn and Wheel to the leg.

ln attaching, the ring is laid in the seat and two socket members` arematched together to form a complete socket which is driven into the leg.The pintle is then inserted in hole 19, the head of the pintle beingforced through ring l5 in passing to its place, the ring expandingoutward when the pintle is forced through it and then contracting underthe head securing the pintle in place but leaving it free to be removedby sufficient pull upon the horn to draw the head outward through thering, which remains in the seat.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

l. A caster comprising a socket adapted to be driven into a metal legand consisting of corresponding members and having a longitudinal holeand a circular seat, a spring ring in said seat and a pintle adapted tobe forced through the ring whereby it is detachably secured in thesocket.

2. A caster comprising a socket adapted to be driven into a metal legand consisting' of members haviiig corresponding bosses and recesses,said socket being provided with a longitudinal hole and a circular seat,a spring ring in said seat, and a pintle having a head adapted to beforced through the spring ring, for the purpose set forth, andsupporting the Weight by end engagement with the socket.

3. A caster comprising a socket adapted to be driven into a metal legand consisting of corresponding members provided With means for lockingthem together When in the leg, a flange engaging the lower end of theleg, a longitudinal hole and a circular seat, a spring ring in said seatand a pintle having a head adapted to be passed through the ring, forthe urpose set forth, and upon Which the socket ias its bearing.

4. A caster socket comprising members having corresponding bosses andrecesses, a longitudinal hole and a circular seat, said members beingprovided with longitudinal ridges adapted to cut slight grooves in ametal leg, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

5. A castel' comprising a socket adapted to be driven into a metal legand consisting of members having corresponding bosses and recesses,semi-circular flanges and longitudinal ridges, for the purpose setforth, said socket being provided with a longitudinal hole and acircular seat, a spring ring in said seat and a pintle having a headadapted to be forced through the spring ring whereby it is detachablyretained in place.-

ln testimony whereof l aflix mysignature, in presence of two Witnesses.

.HARRY A. PALMER.

i/Vitnesses z GEO. A. CANNON, OHAs. S. WiLcoX.

